Once they were heroes, now Brazil’s rainforest farmers are villains

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When Valdemar Gamba’s small farm in southern Brazil was flooded by the building of a dam 30 years ago, the Government gave him compensation and pointed him towards the Amazon.

The ruling generals feared that if they continued to neglect the Amazon region, outside powers might colonise it – so they were eager to see Mr Gamba and his neighbours settle there. Mr Gamba duly made his way to Alta Floresta and hacked a new cattle ranch out of the jungle. The move was well worth it, he says: “The land here is more fertile and the climate is like